Ravens vs. Falcons: Lamar Jackson Could Reportedly Start Again, Flacco Not Cleared

Rookie Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson could start against the Atlanta Falcons this weekend. According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the plan is for the 21-year-old quarterback to start, with veteran starter Joe Flacco still not cleared from a hip problem as of now.

Flacco suffered an injury to his right hip earlier in November in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, though Garafolo reports, there was a chance his status could change in the coming days. For now, Jackson remained the starting quarterback.

In Flacco's absence, Jackson featured for the Ravens as they went 2-0, improving their regular season record to 6-5 and putting them in contention for a wild card spot for the playoffs. While still raw, Jackson was proving to be an adequate replacement, leading Baltimore to wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders.

He notably produced the most rushing yards (190) by a quarterback in his first two NFL starts, with his 26 rushing attempts against Cincinnati being the most by a quarterback in the Super Bowl era as the Ravens have become a more run-heavy offense with him in the side.

Former quarterback Michael Vick, who holds the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback with 6,109 yards, urged Jackson to "proceed with caution" but believed his record could be broken by him.

"It will take a lot," Vick told ESPN. "It will take a season where he rushes for 1,000 yards. It'll take a season where he breaks an overtime run for 65 yards. All records are made to be broken."

The reason for the caution though, was because running would take a toll on a quarterback's career.

"With quarterbacks, we're not used to getting hit all the time," Vick explained. "When we do it, it can either get you into the game or it can shake you up a little bit. It's not like a guy sitting in the pocket, you run the risk of getting injured. I'm not saying that should deter Lamar or scare him; I'm just saying proceed with caution."

"Later on in my career, I did feel it more. It took a longer time for my legs to come back. Six-thousand yards are a lot, but I'm in the record books."

Other than his rushing yards, Jackson passed for a combined 328 yards, completed 27 passes and finished with a touchdown pass in his two starting games. If he continues to improve and Baltimore keep winning, it will be hard to see Flacco return to the starting lineup.